St Patricks Day - 2023

ST PATRICK’S DAY

FESTIVAL

CELEBRATING IRELAND IN LONDON – MARCH 11 & 12

CULTURE & CRAIC

HOW THE IRISH IN BRITAIN HONOUR THEIR HERITAGE

SHARON SHANNON

MUSICAL ICON TAKES TO THE MAIN STAGE

PATRON SAINT

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ST PATRICK

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TASTY RECIPES FOR A FAMILY FEAST GOING GREEN ILLUMINATING THE WORLD

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CELEBRATIONS IN THE CAPITAL

MAYOR OF LONDON HOSTS 20TH ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE AND FESTIVAL

The Mayor of London’s annual St Patrick’s Festival returns to the capital this week –showcasing the best of Irish arts, culture, food, music and much more.

Now in its 20th year, the event will see the city turn all shades of green as Irish people –and friends of the community - turn out to celebrate Ireland’s national day.

For 2023 it takes place across the weekend of March 11 and 12.

Saturday, March 11 will see the return of the Mayor’s busking on the Underground initiative – while Irish Film London’s annual St Patrick’s Film Festival will also be underway.

The following day the celebrations get into full swing as the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Festival takes place in Trafalgar Square.

This annual event is the largest celebration of Irish culture and community in London.

Over the years the Festival has grown steadily, built on a foundation of tradition, inclusivity and diversity and a genuine appreciation for the perspectives of different generations.

A highlight on London’s cultural calendar, for members of all communities, the Festival offers a prime opportunity to showcase the best of Irish arts, performance, culture, food and music in the capital.

Also on Sunday, March 12, the city’s annual historic St Patrick’s Parade will take place.

This celebration of Irish heritage, culture and community attracts more than 50,000 people

PROGRAMME GUIDE

Messages from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and Irish Ambassador to the UK, Martin Fraser

Page 4

The St Patrick’s Day

Parade

Pages 6-7

Following St Patrick’s Footsteps

Pages 8-9

What’s on at the Trafalgar Square concert

Pages 10-12

to the city’s streets each year.

Those gathered watch on in amazement as the colourful procession of floats, community organisations, Irish marching bands from the UK, US and Ireland, dance troupes and all the best of parade pageantry passes them by.

For 2023 the parade will be led by a Grand Marshal who has been described by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan as a “special guest”. The Mayor has yet to reveal who that person is – but they will join Mr Khan at the head of the procession as it makes its way through the capital.

The parade route starts at Hyde Park Corner, then travels through Piccadilly, St James’s Street, Pall Mall, and Cockspur Street before ending at Whitehall.

Once the parade has finished the Festival entertainment truly launches into action.

The main stage in Trafalgar Square –programmed by the London Irish Centre and sponsored by the Gallagher Group – will host some of Ireland’s finest acts and artists.

The hugely successful and deeply talented Irish musician Sharon Shannon will headline the event with her band The Sharon Shannon Trio.

Elsewhere on the programme there will be performances by the Maguire O’Shea School of Irish Dance, poets Leon Dunne and Roxanna Nic Liam and Irish

Headliners: The Sharon Shannon Trio

Page 14

What St Patrick’s Day means to the Irish in Britain

Pages 18-21

Need to know – eleven facts about Ireland’s patron saint

Page 26

Holy order: Nine saints of Ireland

Page 27

Global greenings

Pages 32-33

Recipes: Make your favourite Irish dishes at home

Pages 40-41

Destination Ireland –Top spots to visit on the Emerald Isle

Pages 44-45

musical sensations Celaviedmai and AIS.

Also taking to the main stage – to give a live cookery demonstration – is celebrity Irish chef Anna Haugh.

AAcross the square there’ll be a range of children’s workshops available over the course of the day, featuring camogie games, medal making and face painting, and there will be a varied selection of food and drinks stalls too.

The festival is supported by sponsors Tourism Ireland and Bord Bia and partners The Irish Post, Embassy of Ireland, Culture Ireland, BITA, Maritime Radio and the Bloomsbury Institute.

Fiona Audley Editor

The St Patrick’s Festival guide is designed and produced by The Irish Post, 1 Curzon Street, London, W1J 5HD

www.irishpost.com

@theirishpost theirishpost

Editor: Fiona Audley

Production: Joe Lindley

Advertising: Dara Ashby

A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF LONDON, SADIQ KHAN

I am thrilled that London’s fantastic St Patrick’s Day celebrations will return on Sunday, March 12.

Our annual parade and performances are a real highlight of our city’s cultural calendar and a symbol of the strength of the relationship between our two countries.

London has the largest Irish community in the UK, and for centuries Irish Londoners have made an enormous contribution to London life.

From running successful businesses and supporting public services, to the huge influence on our arts and cultural scene, Irish Londoners are integral to the fabric of our city.

Indeed, London is a better, brighter and more prosperous place for the presence of our Irish communities.

On March 12, Londoners and visitors will again unite on the streets in honour of this relationship as we celebrate Irish culture and heritage in the heart

of our capital.

In Trafalgar Square we have a programme showcasing the best of Irish arts, performance, culture, food and dance.

The Irish Cultural Centre, London Irish Centre, Irish in Britain and London GAA will all have stalls where you can learn about Irish culture and find out about community events in the capital.

From noon-6pm, visitors will be treated to a line-up including family concerts, storytelling, children’s films and youth performances, as well community choirs, schools, dance troupes and more.

Celebrity chef Anna Haugh will be cooking up a storm and demonstrating how you can create delicious Irish cuisine at home.

There will be family friendly workshops featuring camogie games, medal making and face painting, and a great selection of food and drinks stalls.

We will also see the return of the spectacular annual parade of

A MESSAGE FROM THE IRISH AMBASSADOR TO THE UK, MARTIN FRASER

Together with all the staff in the Embassy, my wife Deirdre and I would like to extend our warmest wishes to the Irish community and friends of Ireland in Britain for a happy St Patrick’s Day and a wonderful festival.

St Patrick’s Day is an opportunity for the Irish people, wherever they may be, to celebrate the music, culture and heritage that connect us all. It is a special time for the Irish diaspora all over the world, and nowhere more so than here in Britain.

The Irish community in Britain have a very special and unique sense of identity, built over generations of Irish people coming here to live, work, travel and study. During the pandemic we took even greater pride in the contribution of Irish healthcare workers in the NHS, just one incarnation of a long history of profoundly positive contributions

made to society here.

British-Irish relations are always strongest among the ties of family and friendship that bind people across these islands. 2023 is, of course, an important milestone in this relationship, as we come together to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The Northern Ireland Peace Process is an achievement of both countries, and a testament to the success of hard-work, compromise and a mutual understanding of the need to end the violence of The Troubles.

This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate what was an historic moment for everyone on these islands, bringing peace and transforming relationships. We cannot and do not take that achievement for granted, and we know we must continue to work closely together to realise and safeguard the promise of peace. I was delighted

Irish marching bands, dancers and pageantry.

More than 50,000 people are expected to join the procession which will wind its way through the centre of London from Green Park through Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square.

This year the parade will be led by a special guest Grand Marshal, watch this space.

The celebrations aren’t limited to Trafalgar Square as there are lots of events happening across

London all weekend, from busking on the Underground to a St Patrick’s film festival organised by Irish Film London.

I look forward to joining together with London’s Irish community, as well as welcoming visitors from further afield, for an afternoon of world class entertainment in Trafalgar Square in honour of Ireland’s famous patron saint.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!

as part of our St Brigid’s Day event earlier this year, to welcome to the Embassy a panel of phenomenal women, peace activists from Northern Ireland, who reflected on the vital role women have played in the peace process.

The complex layers of identity of those born here to immigrant parents and raised amongst the Irish community are also celebrated in the annual St Patrick’s Festival in London. The scenes of people celebrating together on the streets of London is an embodiment of the

community’s enduring presence in this city. I would like to thank Mayor Sadiq Khan and his team at City Hall for continually supporting the expression of the London-Irish community through this multi-day event, now in its 20th year, which has become an unmissable part of the city’s cultural calendar.

We hope that wherever you are in Britain, you enjoy the festivities and have a happy St Patrick’s Day.

Beannachtaí na féile Pádraig oraibh go léir!

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

Irish Ambassador Martin Fraser

ST PATRICK’S PARADE LONDON: SUNDAY, MARCH 12

REVELLERS are gearing up to return to the capital this weekend for the Mayor of London’s 20th annual St Patrick’s Festival.

The much-anticipated celebrations will see the city turn a spectacular shade of green as the fun and festivities get underway across March 11 and 12.

On Sunday, March 12 the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival will take place.

Now in its twentieth year, this ever-popular event is a highlight on the calendar of the Irish community in London, but it also attracts friends and festival-goers from all communities, who out to enjoy a healthy dose of Irishness in Britain.

The parade attracts more than 50,000 people to the streets of London each year.

It includes Irish marching bands from the UK, US and Ireland, dance troupes and community organisations, who will all be seen flying their flags high as they weave their way through the streets of the capital.

Starting at Hyde Park Corner, the colourful

procession travels through London from Green Park through Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square.

And it is at Trafalgar Square where the action continues – with a free festival boasting a world-class line-up of Irish culture and music on offer from 12noon to 6pm.

As ever, this year’s St Patrick’s Festival promises to be a showstopper, bringing with it the best of Irish arts, culture, activities and entertainment in honour of Ireland’s national day.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who is due to attend the event, promises a day to remember.

“I look forward to joining together with London’s Irish community, as well as welcoming visitors from further afield, for an afternoon of world class entertainment in Trafalgar Square in honour of Ireland’s famous patron saint,” he said.

“St Patrick’s Day is an opportunity for the Irish people, wherever they may be, to celebrate the music, culture and heritage that connect us all,” he added.

There is also a surprise guest due to join the

Mayor on the big day, Mr Khan has confirmed.

“This year the parade will be led by a special guest Grand Marshal,” he said, before adding: “Watch this space.”

Are you ready to party?

MAP – TRAFALGAR SQUARE

ROUTE

OF ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE – SUNDAY, MARCH 12

FOLLOWING ST PATRICK’S FOOTSTEPS

The life and legacy of Ireland’s patron saint

THE story of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, has fascinated the world for centuries.

As a boy, he was captured from either Wales or Scotland and sent to Slemish Mountain in County Antrim as a slave.

He tended sheep on this quiet mountainside before escaping home, where he had a vision telling him to return to Ireland and spread the message of Christianity.

On March 17 in 461 Patrick died in Saul, Co. Down, where is buried in the grounds of Down Cathedral in Downpatrick.

Each year that date, now known as St Patrick’s Day, is celebrated by Irish people across the globe.

But there is more to Patrick’s legacy than that

single date – he, in fact, left his mark at many locations across the island of Ireland.

His legacy is to be found everywhere from the iconic Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary to the breathtaking peak of County Mayo’s Croagh Patrick, a site of pilgrimage for many.

But it’s in the counties of Armagh and Down in Northern Ireland where his legacy is strongest: at tiny Saul Church, built on the site of Patrick’s first church in Ireland, in the city of Armagh where two cathedrals are dedicated to him, and in Down Cathedral, where he was finally laid to rest.

Here are nine locations in Ireland that are central to St Patrick’s story and his journey across the island…

SLEMISH MOUNTAIN, COUNTY ANTRIM

The story of St Patrick is a story of endurance. When he was just a teenager, St Patrick was captured in Wales – or Scotland – and brought to the island to work as a slave herding sheep on Slemish Mountain, County Antrim. He spent six tough years on these heather-laden slopes with only sheep for company. But it was also here that Patrick found consolation in God. Today, you can walk the 1.5km trail up to the summit of Slemish and look out on to the landscapes that inspired the saint himself.

SAUL CHURCH, COUNTY DOWN

St Patrick escaped his slavery and fled the island, but he was called back to Ireland in a dream, and once he returned, he got busy converting pagans by the thousands. So effective was Patrick, that one new convert donated a barn in which Patrick could hold his services. This is now known as Saul Church and is where Patrick lived leading up to his death. Both a commemorative church and replica round tower now stand on the site near a massive St Patrick statue on Slieve Patrick.

LOUGH DERG, COUNTY DONEGAL

The enigmatic tranquillity of Lough Derg sets the scene for two exceptional stories regarding St Patrick. One tale sees him hunting the last snake in Ireland here and turning the lake red with its blood. The other has Christ dramatically revealing the entrance to hell to Patrick inside a cave. With drama like that in Lough Derg’s past, it’s little wonder this beautiful spot has been a

Slemish Mountain, County Antrim

Lough Derg, Co. Donegalw

spiritual destination ever since. With its calm waters, and isolated aspect, it still attracts pilgrims from all over the world.

HILL OF SLANE, COUNTY MEATH

As missions go, Patrick’s plan to convert Celtic pagans in Ireland was not always a popular one. Once, when Druids were celebrating a pagan feast with the ritual Bealtaine fire on the Hill of Tara, County Meath, Patrick chose to defy the reigning High King by lighting his own unquenchable Paschal fire on the neighbouring Hill of Slane. Did Patrick suffer for his insolence? Amazingly, no. To explain his actions, Patrick performed feats and miracles to prove to the King that the Christian God was far more powerful than the pagan god, using the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity as an example of Christianity.

THE ROCK OF CASHEL, COUNTY TIPPERARY

The Rock of Cashel is one of the most important heritage sites in Ireland. This grassy hill above Cashel is where Patrick baptised Aenghus, the King of Munster – accidently stabbing him in the foot with a crozier while he was at it. This marked the end of paganism and ushered in a new era of Christianity. Amidst the crumbling cathedral walls, look out for the 12th-century St Patrick’s Cross: one face depicts Christ’s crucifixion, while the other shows an image of a bishop – some say it’s St Patrick himself. Nearby St Patrick’s Well in Clonmel (where the saint baptised locals) is said never to freeze in winter.

CROAGH PATRICK, COUNTY MAYO

Nothing could illustrate the enduring power of St Patrick’s impact on Ireland better than the annual pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patrick by up to 3,000 people on the last Sunday of July (Reek Sunday). Translating as “Patrick’s stack” in Irish, this scree-covered mountain was where Patrick fasted for 40 days during Lent, echoing Christ’s travails in the desert. Shoes are optional during the all-consuming climb to its peak and the experience has been described by one pilgrim as a voyage of curiosity that ended with fulfilment and peace. What better testament to the island’s patron saint could you get?

DOWN CATHEDRAL, COUNTY DOWN

Situated on the site of an ancient Benedictine monastery, Down Cathedral is where the mortal remains of Patrick were buried after his death in 461AD. It stands proud on Cathedral Hill, staring out across the town of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. The exact site of St Patrick’s burial remains a mystery, but a carved Memorial Stone – made from local Mourne Mountain granite – traditionally marks his grave. The cathedral is now a place of pilgrimage and prayer.

SAINT PATRICK CENTRE, COUNTY DOWN

St Patrick is at the very heart of Ireland’s Christian heritage, and there are few more engaging places to learn about Patrick than the Saint Patrick Centre (the only exhibition in the world devoted to the saint). Here, you can view collections of art and intricate metalwork from the Early Christian period, as well as intriguing interactive displays. It’s a far cry from the cold and lonely spot on Slemish Mountain but more worthy of the saint’s impact on Ireland.

ST PATRICK’S CATHEDRALS, ARMAGH CITY

The beautiful city of Armagh is where you’ll find not one, but two gracious cathedrals named after the great saint. The Church of Ireland cathedral is on a site that in 445AD housed a church built by Patrick; while the neighbouring Roman Catholic cathedral has its roots in medieval times. Legendary High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, who died at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, is said to be buried in the North Wall of the Church of Ireland Cathedral.

Down Cathedral where St Patrick’s mortal remains are buried

A statue of St Patrick at Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo

FESTIVAL CONCERT RETURNS TO TRAFALGAR SQUARE

A BUSTLING line-up awaits at the St Patrick’s Festival in London this weekend.

Now in its 20th year, the annual event is a highlight on the calendar of the Irish community across the city and friends of the community too.

And the 2023 offering is as spectacular as ever, with something for everyone planned for the main stage in Trafalgar Square.

Programmed by the London Irish Centre (LIC), and sponsored by the Gallagher Group for 2023, festivalgoers can expect a diverse

and eclectic celebration of all things relating to the Irish culture, heritage and community at the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Festival this weekend.

An LIC spokesperson confirmed: “The London Irish Centre are delighted to be Programme Partner for the London St Patrick’s Festival 2023 for another year.

“This special event acknowledges and celebrates the contribution of Irish communities to London, and we are proud to be part of this story.”

They explained: “We will be bringing a diverse programme of

MEET YOUR HOST - RIYADH KHALAF

St Patrick’s Festival main stage host Riyadh Khalaf is a broadcaster, author, podcast host and LGBTQ+ advocate who began his journey as a YouTuber. He is a regular host of BBC’s The One Show and Morning Live, presenting segments and films on the natural world, aviation, and mental health.

Riyadh fronted the groundbreaking documentary Queer

Britain (BBC3), produced and presented Winging It (BBC Reel), and was crowned champion of Celebrity MasterChef (BBC). He has also fronted several BBC Sounds podcasts. His YouTube channel has amassed over 50 million views and his debut book “Yay! You’re Gay! Now What?” sold in the UK, US and Australia becoming a numberone bestseller on Amazon.

Irish arts and culture to the iconic Trafalgar Square, celebrating the creativity and vibrancy of the Irish community in London.

“We want to thank the Mayor of London and London Authority for working with us,” they added.

“We also want to give a special thanks to the Gallagher Group for their support as Stage Sponsor.”

For 2023 the stage programme will be hosted by Riyadh Khalaf, the Co. Wicklow born You Tube star who won Celebrity MasterChef in 2020.

Over the course of a busy afternoon of entertainment there

will be music, song, dance and poetry.

Dublin based poet, writer and actor Roxanna Nic Liam will be on stage, bringing her unique poetry style to the crowds, as will fellow poet and fellow Dubliner Leon Dunne.

Elsewhere Irish celebrity chef Anna Haugh will give a live cookery demonstration and later fashion fans can enjoy a catwalk show hosted by Junk Kouture - an organisation which challenges young people to design, upcycle and create high-end clothing, from recycled junk, before showcasing their design and representing their school on stages across the world.

There is plenty more on offer across the day too – with headliners The Sharon Shannon Trio bringing the best of traditional Irish music to the capital, and performances by the BibleCode Sundays, London Celtic Youth Orchestra, Galway-based artist Celaviedmai and Dublinbased singer/songwriter AIS all on the bill too.

All that and much more to enjoy in the capital this weekend – we’ll see you there!

YOUR MAIN STAGE ST PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL ARTISTS INCLUDE…

MAGUIRE O’SHEA ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCE

This amazing showcase of Irish dancing comes from a highly energetic troupe of talented dancers - including performers from Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and the future stars of Irish dancing, all originating from the Maguire O’Shea Academy.

Celebrating 50 years of teaching, the Academy founded by legendary teachers Michael and Kathleen Maguire continues to promote and share the cultural art of Irish dancing in London and worldwide.

ROXANNA NIC LIAM

Roxanna is a poet, writer and actor from Dublin. She has performed her poetry at different festivals around the country including Body and Soul, All Together Now and Electric Picnic. Her poem ‘The Bubble’ was made into a short film directed by Dave Tynan which she also starred in. Other poetry films include Siúcra; her bilingual piece commissioned by the Axis in Ballymun, Tiocfaidh Ár Mná and There Will Be. She has performed with many Irish theatre companies and also companies in the UK, including the National Theatre in London.

ANNA HAUGH

Anna Haugh is an Irish chef, restaurateur and TV personality. Anna owns Myrtle, a restaurant located in Chelsea which offers a range of modern European cuisines prepared with an Irish influence. Anna will be giving an Irish food demonstration on stage at Trafalgar Square along with a Q&A.

LEON DUNNE

A Dublin-based poet, Leon’s work focuses primarily on giving a voice to topics outside the mainstream conversation. Coming from a working-class background, he engages with language and rhythm with high energy to draw the listeners in. As Leon says, “I write poems and stories for those who may feel left behind by the mainstream culture”. He is the current All Ireland Slam Poet Champion, winning the event in November 2022.

THE CRAICHEADS

The Craicheads have become one of the biggest crowd-pleasers on the UK and Irish scene and are in constant demand playing in and around the capital, at functions and festivals throughout the UK and abroad. Recent performances include Dubai, ITV’s This Morning, The Irish Post Awards, The Rugby World Cup and if various other festival appearances are anything to go by, we can expect bigger and better things to come. The boys are currently working on a new album but to keep you satisfied for now, they’ve just released their Greetings from Another Land EP, containing four original tunes, showcasing their varied style (available on iTunes & Spotify). Put it all together and you’ve got a bunch of lads who can really get the party started.

JUNK KOUTURE

Junk Kouture is open to 13-18-year-olds and challenges young people to design, upcycle and create high end Kouture from recycled Junk, before showcasing their design and representing their school on stages across the world. Junk Kouture started in 2010 in Ireland and the competition has since moved across to the UK. Junk Kouture will be showcasing their latest designs as well as running workshops in Trafalgar Square.

Programme sponsors for the St Patrick’s Festival main stage 2023

THANK YOU TO ALL THE MAYOR OF LONDON’S ST PATRICK’S FESTIVAL

2023 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

SPONSORS

PARTNERS

The Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Festival 2023 will be broadcast on Maritime Radio, sponsored by the Bloomsbury Institute

WEEK-LONG & WEEKEND LEARNING HOLIDAYS FOR ADULTS IN THE DONEGAL GAELTACHT

Irish Language (all levels), Hill Walking, Archaeology, Environment, Geology, Language & Landscape, Language & Culture Summer School, Painting, Weaving, Singing, Sean-nós Dancing, Flute & Whistle, Irish Harp…

COUNTY DONEGAL, ÉIRE

97 30 248

THE SHARON SHANNON TRIO

Sharon

IRISH President Michael D Higgins called her ‘a national treasure’ and after 20 of her own albums, countless DVDs, filmed concerts, musical collaborations and a career that has spanned 40 years, in 2023 Sharon Shannon is still breaking new musical ground.

Her career has seen her tour the world through America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand even to Saudi Arabia and China, headlining some of the biggest global venues from The Kennedy Centre in Washington to London’s Wembley Arena.

In the latter half of 2019, Sharon toured extensively across Japan, gathering inspiration for her album, The Reckoning; an amalgamation of cultures and musical influences to create one of Sharon’s most unique and original albums to date.

Sharon continues to redefine and reimagine the boundaries of Irish traditional music, elevating the genre through her experimental collaborations with reggae, rap and classical musicians.

Her list of collaborators is as extensive as her musical repertoire. She has recorded and toured with Bono, Willie Nelson, La Bottine Souriante, Shane MacGowan, Nigel Kennedy, Steve Earle, Justin Adams, Johnny Depp, Linton Kwesi Johnson, The Waterboys and Dessie O’Halloran, and the RTE Symphony Orchestra to mention just a few.

She has entertained US Presidents, Bill Clinton at the White House and Barack Obama in Dublin, and Irish Presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese on presidential visits to Poland and Australia respectively.

The genre-defying star has achieved multi-platinum album sales and has had several chart-topping albums’ and ‘Meteor Award two years running for the most downloaded song.

She also celebrates being the youngest ever

recipient of the Meteor Lifetime Achievement Award.

An honorary Doctor of Music at The University of Galway, Sharon inspires the students through masterclasses and tutorials both online and in-person. She is currently working on her own living archive which is due for public release later in 2023.

She recently created and presented a four-part musical TV series called Heartlands which saw her travel the length of her ancient namesake the mighty River Shannon, making music along its journey. 2023 will see Sharon releasing new music and creating new live music shows that continue to surprise and excite.

JIM MURRAY

Jim Murray is an internationally acclaimed Irish musician.

Having a wealth of teaching experience and performing master classes around the world, 2011 saw Jim produce his own highly anticipated online guitar tutorial focusing on all aspects of accompanying traditional Irish music with a guitar.

Jim produced this with the aim of bringing his unique style of accompaniment for Irish guitar to a worldwide internet-based student..

Immersed in Irish music from birth, Born into a musical family in County Cork, Jim’s early years were spent immersed in Irish music.

At the age of three, Jim could play melodies on the piano and a year later, discovered his first love – the button accordion.

A passion for guitar Jim’s progress was rapid and he went on to join an accordion band at the age of seven.

Soon after, Jim’s passion for the guitar grew fiercely and it was on his tenth birthday that he was given his first guitar.

After quickly learning the basics, Jim spent the next few years learning and mastering the music of artists such as The Beatles and James Taylor while all the time developing his talent for accompanying traditional Irish music.

Jim’s talent as a melody player would now pay dividends to his accompaniment skills - he intimately understood the music he was accompanying.

Having finished school, Jim formed his own band at the age of eighteen and performed around the local Irish circuit.

Sharon Shannon

Two years later, in 1998, Jim began his professional career, being invited to tour Japan and Australia with accordion legend Seamus Begley whilst also in the same year, touring America with piano accordion ace Alan Kelly.

In 1999 Jim was invited to become guitarist with world renowned Irish musician Sharon Shannon.

To this day, Jim remains Sharon’s “right hand man” having recorded and toured with her over five continents.

JACK MAHER

From Dublin, Jack Maher is equally proficient as an acoustic and electric guitar player.

Jack plays mandolin and banjo and his live work and recordings brought him to perform with Van Morrison, Eddi Reader, Declan O Rourke, The High Kings, Mundy and many more. Jack is also a singer in his own right and a songwriter.

Jack has performed and recorded with the Sharon Shannon Band for over 15 years.

Shannon, Jim Murray and Jack Maher bring the best of traditional Irish music to the capital this weekend

AIS

Dubliner AIS will be on stage in Trafalgar Square at the Mayor of London’s annual St Patrick’s celebrations

AIS is a singer-songwriter from Dublin.

Half Ghanaian and half Irish, she grew up in Blanchardstown before studying Music and English and graduating with a degree from Maynooth University in 2018.

She has been actively performing in the Dublin music scene since her teens, and has released many singles and an EP entitled ‘Freedom’ that enabled her to perform her original song, also called Freedom, with the National Symphony Orchestra and to perform on the Late Late Show with Eleanor McEvoy, Mary

Black and Pauline Scanlon.

AIS performed on the mainstage at Forest Feis earlier this year and is gaining many fans in Ireland as well as London, with two performances here in the capital in the last few months.

One of those performances was in The Grace London, supporting Miles Graham and in Toulouse Electric for Fervor Festival last month.

She also performed at the Irish Embassy in London for Black History Month and again for St Brigid’s Day in February.

CELAVIEDMAI

Galway native Celaviedmai will perform on the main stage at the St Patrick’s Festival this weekend

Celaviedmai (aka Mai or Cela) is a Galway artist who has become one of the most exciting names in the Irish hip hop scene.

She is recognised as a rising star for her hard-hitting lyricism, incomparable stage presence and impressive performance history from the 3 Arena to the National Concert Hall, storming festival stages, headlining her own shows and opening for artists such as Lil Wayne, Mac Miller and Tinchy Stryder.

Mai’s music is celebrated for blending genres within urban contemporary music and she often combines English, French and Irish in her lyrics - paying

homage to her Ivorian roots.

After years of honing her craft, 2022 ended up being a pivotal moment for Celaviedmai. Cited as one to watch by the Irish Independent and Paste Magazine, the rapper began turning heads when she landed on the front cover of Hotpress Magazine, followed by a cover story in the Irish Sunday Times Culture Magazine, opened for UK punk duo Nova Twins in Whelan’s and had her ‘Ireland in Music’ performance premiered as part of the SEODA 2022 programme which was broadcasted across the USA.

Catch Celaviedmai and AIS on the main stage in Trafalgar Square on Sunday, March 12

CULTURE & CRAIC

EACH year St Patrick’s Day is celebrated by the people of Ireland - and their friendsacross the globe.

For some it’s a day to wear green, go to Mass and reflect on their heritage, for others it’s a time to go out and socialise with friends and family and for many it’s an annual opportunity to join fellow members of their local Irish community to celebrate their culture and traditions together.

However it is celebrated, the day itself is always a reminder of home, and as such it will be significant to every Irish person in a very unique way – one that is relevant to their own memories and their family traditions as well as the community-based celebrations that take place around them.

For 2023 we asked members of the Irish community across Britain to tell us what Ireland’s national day means to them, how they celebrate and why it remains as important as ever to mark St Patrick’s Day…

ANNE CURTIS

Green Curtain Theatre director

Anne Curtis was born in Cork city, but came to London as a young child, when her parents moved to England to find work. Today she splits her time between her home in the capital and her house in Kilcrohane, West Cork.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

For Green Curtain Theatre it is a day for which we try and create an Irish event whether this is live or online. This year we will be putting together our children’s video ‘It’s Your Turn’ where children under twelve years of age perform a piece of Irish culture.

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day? Spiritually and socially. I try to attend Mass in the morning and in the evening I am usually in a pub or something similar having a great time with my London Irish friends.

Are there any special/unusual St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

I used to get a St Patrick’s pot when I was a child but that was a long time ago.

Why is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

I think that it allows you to be visible and proud of who you are, and the contribution made by Irish people to this country.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

Unusually I will be in Ireland for St Patrick’s Day this year. I am helping out with our village’s drama festival. It should be great fun both at the event and in the pub afterwards.

ANNA FRANKS

Under her firm Anna Franks Marketing, Director Anna Franks (née Dunne) is currently working with a range of Irish organisations in Britain – including the Liverpool Irish Festival and Fréa. Based in Leeds, she is also part of the Women of Irish Heritage Network in the North of England, with her own Irish roots lying in Cromane, Co. Kerry, where her mother was born, and her father’s hometown of Mountmellick in Co. Laois.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

St Patrick’s day feels like it is part of my DNA. My mum and dad both came to London in the 60s and settled in Cricklewood. Growing up Irish culture was always very present in our house: from Irish music playing on the stereo, the sing songs when we had people around visiting and my Irish dancing hobby which took me to weekly feisseanna around the country. St Patrick’s Day always felt like a time to proudly celebrate and showcase our Irish heritage.

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day? These days the actual St Patrick’s Day tends to be a quieter affair if it falls during the week (especially with children in tow). I try and find something green to wear, the pin badge comes out and messages will fly around my lovely group of Irish family and friends wishing each other a happy St Patrick’s Day. Now my girls are more aware of the celebratory nature of the day we make sure we play more Irish music around that time and also attend the Leeds St Patrick’s Day parade.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions within your family?

Nothing unusual really but my earliest memories of St Patrick’s Day consisted of getting out the green, white and gold hair ribbons and the badge that had been sent by an Irish relative being pinned

to my cardigan and trotting off to school. As an Irish dancer I was also often rolled out to do an exhibition in assembly for my class mates or attend Irish events over the weekend and on St Pat’s evening to do some Irish dances.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day?

I’ve celebrated St Patrick’s Day in New York, Sydney, Ireland, London and Leeds. New York was amazing as many of my American cousins, who are also second generation, are as passionate about our shared Irish heritage as I am. Some of my cousins were in the pipe bands and police sections of the parade and when the parade finished we enjoyed a few bars and even met actors Brenda Fricker and Olympia Dukakis who were out celebrating St Patrick’s Day as well.

Why is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

I now live in Leeds and have two girls of my own – both of whom have started to learn Irish dancing. My Irish heritage is so important to me, and I want my daughters to inherit the traditions, celebrations and culture of their grandparents.

St Patrick’s Day is a point for the Irish community to come together, showcase our culture and be proud of our roots.

There are many ways in which to mark Ireland’s national dayhere’s how the Irish in Britain do it…

Anne Curtis

Anna Franks

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

Well, it falls on a Friday this year, so plans for a night out are in the pipeline. Leeds St Patrick’s Day parade is the weekend before on Sunday, March 12, so we will be attending that as well. And maybe I’ll cook up my mum’s favourite Irish dinner – some boiled bacon and cabbage.

EIMEAR MAGUIRE

Born in Ballina, Co. Mayo, mother-of-two Eimear Maguire is now based in Manchester, where she is a Director of and Head of Finance and Operations at Maguire Family Law, a practice she co-founded in 2010 after leaving the nursing profession.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

St Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate my Irish culture and heritage. A chance to reconnect with some Irish traditions, usually having fun with friends and family.

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day?

Last year I went to Kennedy’s – an Irish pub local to my office In Altrincham, Greater Manchester. A live Irish music band had the whole place shaking. I like to dress in green and most of the pub had the same idea.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

We like to have a St Patrick’s Day dinner and this usually comprises of traditional Irish food; black pudding, bacon and cabbage or beef in Guinness; barmbrack and Irish coffee.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day?

In the mid 90’s my brother was in a band and they played a St Patrick’s Day gig in Nottingham. I got to join them on stage, playing the tambourine (!!) and singing Star of the County Down – the atmosphere was electric.

Is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day? Absolutely. It’s an obligation. Each year more and more nationalities enjoy celebrating St Patrick’s Day and being an ex-pat in the UK it certainly reconnects me with my heritage and reminds me how many people, if not Irish themselves, really connect and resonate with our culture.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

As it’s a Friday this year it could mean it’s more of a party than usual. Kennedy’s will feature, family and friends and wearing green of course. I have not previously decorated my house so that could be something new for 2023.

GERRY MOLUMBY

Born in Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Gerry Molumby relocated to Britain in 1980. He is the founder of the Triskellion Irish Theatre Company and produces the annual Nottingham St Patrick’s Festival. He lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife Fiona and son Cormac.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

St Patrick’s Day heralds for me that spring is here. A day to celebrate all that is good about being Irish abroad.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

The wearing of the shamrock obviously, and our countycoloured badge.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day and why?

I managed to get a press pass to the Dublin St Patrick’s Parade a few years back. Being up and close to it, I was so impressed.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

It will be a busy day for me as producer of our festival week and especially our open air free Irish Showcase Concert in Nottingham’s Market Square.

KEVIN FITZPATRICK

Fermanagh-born Kevin Fitzpatrick is the award-winning Manager of St Kentigern’s Irish Club in Fallowfield, Greater Manchester.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

To celebrate the life of St Patrick with family and friends.

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day?

With good music and good craic everywhere. Prayers, music, drinking, dancing and enjoying everyone’s company, near and far, wherever you are.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

Having worked in the pub trade since 1990, I am always busy on the day itself. But I do remember when I was a boy back at home that we always went to Mass on St Patrick’s Day.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day and why?

Every year really as we host an Irish breakfast on St Patrick’s Day at St Kentigern’s. Over the years, with our late DJ John Brennan (RIP), we have served close to 400 people through this event. When I am asked how we cook for this many people my answer is always, ‘it’s the team and my volunteers that help me out’. We also ask for a donation of whatever our guests can afford on the day and we give that money to the local charity Irish Community Care’s grave fund.

Is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, if so, why?

Yes, I’m a poor-breed Irish man.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

This year we have the usual celebrations at St Kentigern’s, good music and great craic.

Eimear Maguire

Kevin Fitzpatrick

Gerry Molumny

MARTIN LOGAN

Martin Logan was born in Ballygar, Co. Galway. He has been living in Manchester for many years, where he is the popular presenter/ producer of both The Irish in the UK TV show and the Out & About Manchester Irish Radio show.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

Saint Patrick’s Day is always a special day for me, wearing the shamrock and celebrating our culture and heritage.

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day?

Growing up in Ireland, we always attended Mass with my mum and dad and family to remember St Patrick and give thanks for what he did for Ireland. The GAA games club championship finals were always the highlight of the day for me.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

My father would always paint something green for Saint Patrick’s Day. Sometimes it would be the wheels of a tractor other times It could be a farm building.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day?

Being a strong GAA supporter, it was when Corofin GAA club in Galway became the first club team in both football and hurling to win three All Ireland Club titles back to back.

Is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

When St Patrick died on March 17, his death date became a national religious holiday in Ireland. As we no longer live in Ireland we must keep our tradition alive and honour Ireland’s patron saint.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

Myself and [my partner] Annette will be out around the country filming the St Patrick’s Day celebrations for the Irish in the UK TV show, which is aired every Thursday night at 7.30pm on Sky 186. We will be highlighting some of the St Patrick’s Day parades in the UK and hearing the incredible success stories of so many Irish people who have made their home here. We will finish off the day at the Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester and we may even have a Guinness or two.

BREEGE MCDAID

Donegal native Breege McDaid has been living in Liverpool for many years, where she is Director of Irish Community Care Merseyside.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

As an Irish person who has lived away from home longer that I have lived in Ireland, St Patricks Day is a very important day for me. It is a day to reflect on my culture and heritage, my family, and my journey. It is an opportunity to celebrate all things Irish with pride. It is also a day to celebrate migration, to reflect on the amazing contribution that Irish people have made and continue to make to towns, cities and countries across the world. To see their contribution in the buildings, institutions, arts and conversations all around us. It is also a day to remember the struggles many Irish people face in terms of loneliness, isolation, poverty, poor health, family trauma etc. A day to ask how can I support my community?

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day?

I have the great privilege of working at Irish Community Care, where we celebrate St Patrick’s Day with community members either at our office base in Dale St or at the many social and cultural events that are happening across Merseyside and wider.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

My family always sends over shamrock and badges which we always wear with pride. And of course, there always has to be a green garment worn for this special day. I always try to connect with family on St Patrick’s Day both in Ireland and in other parts of the world, whether it’s a simple what’s app message or phone or video call.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day?

I have had many memorable St Patrick’s Days, all connected with Irish Community Care. I recall the first St Patrick’s Day celebration that Irish Community Care organised in Wirral (one of the local boroughs in Merseyside). I remember all the planning and setting up and then opening the doors to a long queue of people proudly wearing their shamrock and looking forward to a great celebration ahead. And those first few events have led to an

amazing group of older Irish people who now come together every week as the Wirral Irish Group and enjoy great company, ceol agus craic, celebrating with friends old and new.

Is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

For me it will always be important to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. I am very proud to be Irish and our national day is a great opportunity to share and celebrate Irishness in its many forms with the world.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

St Patrick’s Day 2023 falls on a Friday, so it will be business as usual here at Irish Community Care. Our usual warm welcome will have an added St Patrick’s Day sparkle and magic. And in the evening, I’ll be celebrating with family and friends.

ANT HANLON

Ant Hanlon is CEO of Leeds Irish Health & Homes (LIHH) and Chair of the Fréa organisation. Both of his parents hail from Co. Wexford.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

It’s a great opportunity to celebrate our national identity and offers a plethora of opportunities to come together as a

Breege McDaid

Ant Hanlon

Martin Logan and his partner Annette

community and a community of communities with others. It’s an ideal opportunity to showcase the great work that LIHH do in the community whilst reaching out to many who find themselves alone on such a poignant day. It’s a very heart-warming occasion to be involved in.

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day?

Generally, we celebrate at work with a St Patrick’s Day Party for community members and have guests such as the Lord Mayor of Leeds and representatives from the Irish Government to join us and wish the community well. I also enjoy the opportunity to delve into Irish arts and films around this time too, and the odd pint of the black stuff.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

When I was growing up it wasn’t a great thing to be Irish; we kept our heads down. St Patrick’s was muted for much of my early years, so our traditions came later on. I always try to make something Irish for our meal on the day.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day?

I played in a band when I was younger and we supported The Pogues around St Patrick’s Day but the celebrations were already in full swing. It was a magic experience.

Is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

I’m Irish and love the fact so it’s very important to celebrate what this means but I also love the fact that we are such a diverse community now and so embracing that change feels very important. It also fosters Irish heritage in my own family which again is important to me.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

As it falls on a Friday this year, I’ll head along to a gig in Leeds.

MELISSA ROCHE

Born in Birmingham to parents who hailed from Donegal, Melissa Roche is head of Fundraising, Volunteering and Communications at the SIFA Fireside charity.

What does St Patrick’s Day mean to you?

Growing up in Birmingham to Irish parents, St Patrick’s Day was always a great celebration.

As a child, I’d head off to school on St Patrick’s Day with tricolour ribbons in my hair and a badge attached firmly to my jumper. There was a strong Irish community and St Patrick’s Day was a real celebration of Irish culture, song, and dance, as well as Mass.

In what ways do you celebrate Ireland’s national day?

The St Patrick’s Day parade in Birmingham was a key date in the calendar for family and friends to connect. Due to the regeneration of the Irish quarter, the parade hasn’t been able to take place in the last few years as well as the infamous Irish Post breakfast. St Patrick’s Day normally starts with Mass, followed by drinks and music in Digbeth, Birmingham. In my work capacity, we always ensure clients at SIFA Fireside are treated to an Irish dish accompanied by traditional song in our homeless drop-in centre by key musicians in the city.

Are there any special St Patrick’s traditions in your family?

My father’s sister, Sally always sends freshly picked shamrocks all the way from Co. Derry. It’s a delivery we always look forward to and wear with pride.

What was your most memorable St Patrick’s Day?

My most memorable St Patrick’s Day is when I met my future husband. That was thirty years ago in the Emerald Club and the rest is history.

Is it important to you to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

I’m very proud of my Irish roots and heritage and this is something instilled in me from my parents, who hail from Co. Donegal and set up home in Birmingham in the 1970s. St Patrick’s Day is a day to celebrate all things Irish and connect with family and friends.

How will you celebrate St Patrick’s Day 2023?

This year we’ll be celebrating St Patrick’s Day in Irishtown, Co. Mayo. I’ve arranged a party for my husband’s 50th birthday where we’ll be joined by family and friends from as far as the US. It will be a great day and night in Co. Mayo.

Melissa Roche

LONDON ST PATRICK’S FESTIVAL 2023

Sunday 12 March | 12–6pm | Trafalgar Square | Free

Come and celebrate with music, dance, food and more. From the festival in Trafalgar Square to the famous parade from Hyde Park. It’ll be grand!

Join the celebration london.gov.uk/St-Patricks

Happy St Patrick’s Day

Since its establishment in 2009, The London Irish Construction Network has steadily grown its membership base covering every aspect of the construction industry.

The network prides itself on its ability to bring member companies together, creating opportunities for them to develop and grow their businesses.

in Britain is 50

Irish in Britain is proud to be marking its 50th anniversary in 2023 with a national heritage project, made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. We are collecting oral histories and artefacts for exhibitions in November to celebrate 50 years of Irish community organisation and the people who have helped shape this unique history.

Want to find out more?

Would you like to join our network, or find out more about our work?

FINDING THE FACTS

Author Alannah Hopkin reveals eleven things you should know about Ireland’s patron saint

1. He really existed, and he died on March 17, 461 AD.

2. Patrick first visited Ireland when he was kidnapped by pirates as a young man to work as a slave. Nobody knows where he came from, but he grew up in Britain under the Romans. Places he might have come from include Brittany, the west coast of Scotland, Wales or England. The only thing we know for sure is that he was not ‘Irish born and bred’.

3. We do not know what part of Ireland St Patrick called home, but it was most likely County Down on the east coast, or County Mayo in the west.

4. St Patrick did not convert Ireland singlehanded, as people used to believe. He was

one of several missionaries travelling around the country in the fifth century AD, converting the pagan Irish to Christianity.

5. Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day Festival with the parade as its main event, is relatively new, reinvented in the early 1980s to entertain the large numbers of American visitors who flocked to the city on March 17 with their marching bands and set dancers. The Dublin parade quickly became a key feature of the Irish Tourist Board’s promotion of Ireland overseas.

6. The tradition of taking an alcoholic drink on St Patrick’s Day is a very old one, recognised since time immemorial by the issue of generous rations of “grog” (strong liquor) to Irish regiments.

Alannah Hopkin lives in southwest Ireland and has written extensively about Ireland for Fodor’s, Berlitz and Insight guides. She also writes fiction. Her most recent book is A Very Strange Man: A Memoir of Aidan Higgins. Patrick – From Patron Saint to Modern Influencer, is an updated version of Ms Hopkin’s seminal 1989 book about the historical saint and the ways in which the image of St Patrick has been used in forming modern Irish identity.

7. About 23,000 people climb Croagh Patrick in Co. Mayo on the last Sunday in July, some of them barefoot like their forefathers. The traditional belief is that Patrick fasted on the mountain for forty days and forty nights in 441 AD before casting the devils along with the snakes and reptiles out of Ireland.

8. The official emblem of Ireland in heraldry is the harp surmounted by a crown on a blue background. Green only came to be associated with St Patrick and Irishness in the eighteenth century.

9. There is no such plant as ‘the shamrock’. Botanists agree that the three-leaved plant called shamrock is usually the winter resting stage of red or white clover.

10. Pictures of Saint Patrick as an elderly bishop in long green robes with a mitre on his head and a staff in his hand are inventions of the 17th-century Catholic church, to emphasise its links with Rome. In real life St Patrick would have worn a short tunic and leather sandals with a short cloak over his shoulder.

11. About 11,000 people a year still spend three days on Station Island, in Lough Derg, Co. Donegal, barefoot and fasting, and saying 2520 mainly silent prayers in a pilgrimage associated with Saint Patrick that has remained largely unchanged since the 1600s.

SAINTS OF IRELAND

Nine holy men and women who are not St Patrick

WITH his global fame and following, St Patrick is by far Ireland’s best-known saint.

But Irish history is full of men and women who have been made saints and are worth knowing about too. Here are nine of them…

SAINT FINBAR

Patron saint of Cork

St Finbar was born in Connaught, the son of an artisan and a lady of the Irish royal court. He was named Fionnbahrr (meaning ‘white head’) by monks due to his light hair. His monastery became famous in southern Ireland and attracted numerous disciples.

Many extravagant miracles are attributed to him, and supposedly, the sun did not set for two weeks after he died at Cloyne about the year 633.

SAINT BRIGID

Patron saint of Ireland, dairymaids, cattle, midwives, Irish nuns, new-born babies

St Brigid was born Brigit and shares a name with a Celtic goddess from whom many legends and folk customs are associated. Brigid is celebrated for her generosity to the poor. In her case, most of the miracles associated with her relate to healing and household tasks usually attributed to women. Every year on St Brigid’s feast day, February 1, formerly celebrated as a pagan festival, children in Catholic schools in Ireland make Brigid’s crosses.

The small cross is usually woven from rushes. Typically, it has four arms tied at the ends and a woven square in the middle. 2023 marked the first St Brigid’s Day bank holiday in Ireland, a new public holiday which will now be honoured every year.

SAINT COLMCILLE

Patron saint of Derry, floods, bookbinders, poets, Ireland, Scotland

St Colmcille (Columba) was probably born in 521 in Co. Donegal.

After he was ordained, he left Ireland at the age of 42, possibly because of a family feud which

resulted in the death of 3000 people which he was partly blamed for. He is one of the three chief saints of Ireland, after St Patrick and St Brigid.

SAINT OLIVER PLUNKETT

Patron saint of peace and reconciliation in Ireland

After he was ordained, due to religious persecution in his native land, it was not possible for Oliver Plunkett to return to minister to his people. Therefore Oliver taught in Rome until 1669, when he was appointed Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland. He soon established himself as a man of peace and set about visiting his people, establishing schools, ordaining priests, and confirming thousands. Oliver Plunkett was beatified in 1920 and canonised in 1975, making him the first new Irish saint for almost 700 years, and the first of the Irish martyrs to be beatified. He also has a street in Cork named after him.

SAINT ITA

Patron saint of Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick

St Ita is an interesting one. Born at Decies, Co. Waterford she refused to be married, and secured her father’s permission to live a virginal life.

St Ita was said to embody the six virtues of Irish womanhood –wisdom, purity, beauty, musical ability, gentle speech and needle skills. Yes, we said needle skills. But things were different back in the year 475. Many extravagant miracles were attributed to her. In

one of them she is reputed to have reunited the head and body of a man who had been beheaded; in another she lived entirely on food from heaven.

SAINT AILBHE

Patron saint of wolves

St Ailbhe was a bishop, preacher, and a disciple of St Patrick. In some records he is called Albeus and was noted for his charity and kindness, as well as his eloquent sermons.

It was claimed that he was left in the woods as an infant and suckled by a wolf. Later, the legend goes, an old she-wolf came to Ailbhe for protection from a hunting party, resting her head upon his breast.

SAINT COLUMBANUS

Patron saint of motorcycles

St Columbanus was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries in Burgundy, Luxeuil, Switzerland and Italy, which were known for their

strict rules and their emphasis on corporal punishment. He performed many miracles, including making a bear evacuate a cave at his biddings, destroying a cauldron of beer with his breath and taming a bear and yoking it to a plough.

SAINT GALL

Patron saint of birds, geese, poultry and Sweden

St Gall, or Gallus, was born in Ireland in 550 and was one of the traditional 12 companions of Saint Columbanus on his mission from Ireland to the continent.

A popular legend is that when St Gall was in the woods, he was sitting at a fire when a bear emerged from the bushes and charged at him. He rebuked the bear, so awed by his presence it stopped its attack, gathered firewood and sat at the fire with him.

SAINT ATHRACHT

Patron saint of Tourlestrane, Co. Sligo, Ireland

St Athracht, or Attracta, is traditionally listed as a daughter of a sixth century noble Irish family in County Sligo. Her father opposed her religious vocation but she went to St Patrick and made her vows to him before founding a hospice on Lough Gara. Local tradition remembers her great healing powers. Her convents were famous for hospitality and charity to the poor. Today a local well is named after her, as is a secondary school in Tubbercurry and a church in Kilmactigue.

Saint Ita

Saint Oliver Plunkett

GLOBAL GREENINGS

WHEN St Patrick’s Day falls on March 17 iconic landmarks, buildings and heritage sites across the world will be illuminated green to mark the occasion.

Since the launch of the Global Greening initiative in 2009 - the brainchild of the Irish government’s Tourism Ireland marketing agency – it has grown exponentially.

And each year world famous sites from the London Eye, to the Sydney Opera House, Niagara Falls and the Colosseum in Rome turn a vibrant shade of green to celebrate Ireland’s national day.

Regarding the ongoing initiative, Tourism Ireland’s CEO, Niall Gibbons said: “Each year I am delighted to see even more well-known attractions and landmark sites getting involved.

“The eagerness of cities and countries everywhere to take part underlines the strength of the deep connection that people all over the world feel to Ireland.”

He added: “More than 70 million people around the world claim links to the island of Ireland and St Patrick’s Day is a truly unique opportunity to reconnect them with their heritage.”

Here are some of the Global Greening highlights to date…

Each year hundreds of buildings across the world go green in honour of St Patrick’s Day

Giant’s Causeway, Co. Antrim

The leaning tower of Pisa, Italy

The pyramids and Sphinx in Giza, Egypt

Global greening, Rio de Janeiro

Oakfield Demesne, Co. Donegal

The London Eye

Sydney Opera House, Australia

Happy St Patrick’s Day

to all Irish Post readers and friends of the Aisling project

For the last 20 years on our national day Aisling would be in Ireland with a group of returning emigrants looking for a parade to join and a pub/ restaurant in which to get a plateful of bacon and cabbage. For several years we were invited to Ardal O’Hanlon’s home in Dublin where he and his family would invite friends and neighbours over and have a party for our group of up to 20 people. On one memorable occasion Ardal’s wife Melanie was shocked to meet her long lost uncle Tommy who had gone missing 40 years ago and had turned up out of the blue with the group.

It has been a difficult couple of years for us all with Covid restricting our activities and we have not been able run any of our return to Ireland trips for the last couple of years. That is something we hope to begin again this year. We also lost our founder and mentor John Glynn, when he died last August but we are determined to carry on with our work of supporting some of the most vulnerable members of the Irish community in London. We also plan to organise our day at the races in the summer and a comedy benefit gig later in the year. So look out for those events and come along to support our community and help us keep our loved ones in touch with their loved ones across the Irish Sea.

May your heart be light and your friends be near, with your glasses brimming ready to cheer.

tmd. Insuring the London Irish Community for over 50 years.

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SOLVING

TASTE OF HOME

Nothing says St Patrick’s Day like a hearty Irish meal. Whether you are cooking for many or simply keen to enjoy some traditional food for one - here is a selection of tasty recipes, brought to you by Bord BiaIreland’s food board, which will bring a little Irish flavour into your kitchen.

From cider braised bacon to apple and Irish whiskey tart there is something to suit all tastes and plenty to help you create the perfect dinner on March 17.

All you have to do is choose your desired recipe and get cooking!

COLCANNON CAKES WITH POACHED EGGS AND HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

This dish would also be delicious served with a slice of baked ham or bacon if you have any leftover. Alternatively, chop up the ham or bacon and add to the colcannon mixture before shaping into patties.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 450g potatoes, peeled

• 40g but ter

• 3 scallions, finely chopped

• A lit tle salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 50g Savoy cabbage, shredded

• A lit tle plain flour, for dusting

• Olive oil, for fr ying

• 1 tablesp. white wine vinegar

• 4 large eggs

FOR THE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

• 2 teasp. white wine or tarragon vinegar

• 2 large egg yolks

• 100g unsalted butter

METHOD

1. Cook the potatoes in a covered pan of boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat a knob of the butter and one tablespoon of water in a heavy-based pan with a lid, over a high heat.

3. When the butter has melted and formed an emulsion, add the scallions and cabbage with a pinch of salt. Cover, shake vigorously and cook over a high heat for 1 minute. Shake the pan again and cook for another minute, then season with pepper.

4. Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth, then beat in the remaining butter. Fold in the cabbage mixture.

5. Shape the mixture into four balls, dust with flour and press into neat patties. Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and add the patties, then cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown.

6. To make the poached eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the vinegar and season with salt and keep at a very gentle simmer. Break the eggs into the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside.

7. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper, trimming away any ragged edges.

8. To make the hollandaise sauce, place the vinegar and egg yolks in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Blend until just combined.

9. Gently heat the butter in a heavy-based pan until melted and just beginning to foam. Turn on the food processor and with the motor running at medium speed; pour in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream through the feeder tube.

10. Continue to blitz for another 5 seconds and pour back into the pan but do not return to the heat.

11. Allow the heat from the pan to finish thickening the sauce as you stir it gently for another minute before serving. Season to taste with salt.

Serving Suggestions

• To serve, place a colcannon cake on a warmed plate and place a poached egg on top of each one. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and add a grinding of black pepper.

CIDER BRAISED LOIN OF BACON WITH STIR-FRIED CABBAGE

Wonderful comfort food. Bacon is delicious hot and cold so make sure you leave some for a sandwich the next day

INGREDIENTS

CIDER BRAISED BACON

• 800g loin of bacon

• 1 carrot, cleaned and chopped

• 1 stick of celer y, cleaned and chopped

• A dash of vinegar

• 10 Juniper berries, crushed

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 sage leaves, chopped

• 1 tablesp. honey

• 250 ml cider

• 2 tablesp. crème fraîche

• 1 tablesp. Dijon-st yle mustard

• 1 tablesp. cornflour or potato starch mixed with 1 tablesp. water - optional

STIR-FRIED CABBAGE

• A knob of butter

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 650g Savoy cabbage

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

APPLE AND IRISH WHISKEY TART

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F).

2. Place the loin of bacon in an ovenproof saucepan along with the carrot, celery and vinegar. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. While the bacon is cooking, in a small bowl combine the ingredients for the toppingjuniper berries, garlic, sage leaves and honey.

4. Af ter 30 minutes remove the bacon from the saucepan and place on a plate or board. Score the fat and spread over the topping mixture. Discard the cooking liquid and vegetables and rinse the saucepan with cold water.

5. Return the bacon to the saucepan, add the cider and place, uncovered, in the

preheated oven. Roast for a further 20 minutes basting from time to time. Remove the bacon from the saucepan and keep warm.

6. Add the crème fraîche to the juices and simmer to reduce for 5 minutes. Whisk in the mustard. If you like the sauce thicker, whisk in the cornflour and water mixture and allow to cook for a couple of minutes.

7. Meanwhile melt the butter in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion and garlic and allow it to soften for a few minutes.

8. Add the shredded cabbage, season with a little salt and black pepper and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until the cabbage is tender and slightly wilted.

9. Slice the bacon and serve with the cider sauce, stir-fried cabbage and mashed potatoes.

This delicious recipe is from the kitchen of Irish celebrity chef John Howard

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 250g shortcrust pastry

• 50g ground almonds

• 4 large Bramley apples, peeled and diced

• 2 tablesp. sugar

• 250ml cream

• 3 egg yolks 50g caster sugar

• Dash of whiskey

METHOD

1. Set oven Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F). Line four individual tart tins with the pastry.

2. Sprinkle some ground almonds on the base of each one. Then add the apple and enough sugar to sweeten.

3. Heat the cream. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together. Stir in the cream and a dash of whiskey.

4. Spoon a lit tle of the cream mixture into each tart. Keep remaining cream.

5. Bake tarts for 25-35 minutes. Pour the remaining cream into a bowl. Place over simmering water. Stirring constantly, continue to cook until the custard thickens. Set aside - keep warm

Serving Suggestions

• Ser ve the tart, dusted with icing sugar, with the warm custard. Vanilla ice-cream, thin almond biscuit, raspberries etc. are optional.

EXPLORE THE EMERALD ISLE

IF you enjoy celebrating St Patrick’s Day then a trip to Ireland could be right up your street.

Abounding in natural beauty, mountains, cliffs and dramatic coastlines, there is something to captivate even the most seasoned travellers across the island – whether it is a place you call home or somewhere you have yet to visit.

Realistically, it takes days, even weeks, to see the best of the greenest country in Europe and trying to figure out what to do when you get there can be a bit overwhelming.

So, to save you some time, with the help of Tourism Ireland, here is a handy list of 10 don’t-miss things to do if you’re planning to see the Emerald Isle for yourself this year…

SEEK ADVENTURE ON THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY

Certainly, one of the must-see areas for awesome scenery on an Irish holiday, the Wild Atlantic Way is also an unspoilt adventure playground and full of sustainable activities. Hop between charming coastal villages and incredible national parks, while enjoying any kind of outdoor pursuit you can think of. Surf the water, ride horses on the beach, spot whales, climb mountains, do a spot of forest bathing, cycle greenways, walk through eons of history and much more.

STEAL AWAY TO AN ISLAND

For the ultimate in remote experiences, escape to the tranquil and idyllic Rathlin Island, lying six miles off County Antrim and just a quick ferry ride from the seaside town of Ballycastle

in Northern Ireland. You will soon fully appreciate the magic of this wild, L-shaped and unspoilt island. Walk the car free roads. Cycle for miles in solitude, watch out for seals in the bay. Explore lighthouses, visit the bird sanctuary, soak up the fresh sea air and sup a pint in the island’s only pub.

TRY AN ULTRA-LUXURY HOTEL EXPERIENCE

Once home to the Guinness family, the 800-year-old Ashford Castle in County Mayo has long been the hotel that presidents, royals and the famous choose for an iconic Irish experience. It has an exceptional reputation when it comes to luxury travel. Situated in a spectacular 350-acre estate, it’s full of sumptuous rooms and suites, amazing interiors, antique furniture, fine fabrics and unique features at every turn, all underpinned by ambitious sustainability practices. The

ultimate indulgent experience in the west of Ireland.

EXPLORE A MAGICAL DARK SKY

Connect with the ancient past and experience a magical link between astronomy and archaeology at Northern Ireland’s OM Dark Sky Park and Observatory. Fringed by Davagh Forest at the foot of the Sperrin Mountains in County Tyrone, the park is close to the Beaghmore Stones, a series of mysterious Neolithic stone circles. Explore the stories of the stones or go mountain biking by day and stargaze away from light pollution by night.

GO GREEN IN AN ECO-DESTINATION

To keep your holiday carbon footprint to a minimum, head for the protected, moon-like and eco-friendly terrain of the Burren in County Clare. Along with the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren

The top 10 things to do if you’re visiting Ireland in 2023

Ashford Castle, Co Mayo

Take to the road in The Burren, Co Clare

is part of a UNESCO Global Geopark, where sustainability, socially responsible, naturebased tourism and excellent eco-travel experiences are the norm. Stay in sustainable accommodation, eat locally sourced food and revel in any number of environmentally friendly activities and experiences.

PLAY ONE OF IRELAND’S BEST GOLF COURSES

The island of Ireland is an iconic destination for golf – the choice of exceptional championship courses in spectacular locations is truly amazing. With world-ranked links and stunning parkland layouts, a golf trip is always an incredible experience. If you had to single out just one destination, Ballybunion Golf Club in County Kerry would be right up there. Home to two wonderfully challenging links courses, it’s

ranked as one of the very best golfing experiences in the world.

FEEL

THE ENERGY OF CELTIC IRELAND

Step back 5,000 years and experience

prehistoric Ireland at Newgrange, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the lush green paradise of the Boyne Valley. This area was once the territory of Ireland’s high kings and boasts a rich history and culture. The Stone Age passage tomb at Newgrange is part of the famous Brú na Bóinne complex, one of the world’s most important prehistoric landscapes. An immersion in this jewel in the crown of Ireland’s Ancient East is unforgettable.

DRIVE

THE CAUSEWAY COASTAL ROUTE

Combining stunning coastal scenery with a host of historic sites and picturesque towns

and villages, the famous Causeway Coastal Route stretches 130 miles from Belfast to Derry into Game of Thrones territory. A road trip like no other, it’s home to countless key stops, attractions and experiences. It could be The Gobbins, a white-knuckle cliff path walk at Islandmagee, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Giant’s Causeway, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, Game of Thrones film locations or the Old Bushmills Distillery, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.

SOAK UP THE ALL-IRELAND FLEADH

Ireland boasts many musical extravaganzas with something to suit everyone, but there is nothing to beat the annual Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann or the All-Ireland Music Festival. The largest festival of Irish culture, music, song and dance in the world takes place this year in Mullingar in Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands. Running from August 6-14, it’s going to be special.

DISCOVER DUBLIN’S COASTAL TRAIL

Dublin’s long coastline is dotted with a raft of unexpected experiences and outdoor activities. The Dublin Coastal Trail highlights these hidden gems. Take the DART rail line and it’s easy to discover castles, beaches, harbours, heritage and more all on foot. From Skerries to the north of the city down to Killiney in the south, find everything from incredible sea views and thrilling watersports to the freshest of seafood, cliffs, walks and culture on Dublin’s doorstep.

For more Ireland travel inspiration visit www.ireland.com

Step back in time at Newgrange

Drive the picturesque Causeway Coastal Route